Organic Producers and Handlers May Apply for 2019 Certification Cost Share Reimbursements

(April 17, 2019) Malone, NY – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director Jennifer Bosley, reminds Organic producers and handlers to visit their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to apply for federal reimbursement to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic or transitional certification.

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the National Organic Program (NOP). Certified operations may receive up to 75 percent of their 2019 program year certification costs paid from Oct. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2019, not to exceed $750 per certification scope. Scopes include crops, livestock, wild crops and handling.

Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic or transitional certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. Application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement/ arrangement requirements, travel/per diem for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage are all eligible for a cost share reimbursement from USDA.

Historically, many state departments of agriculture have obtained grants to disburse reimbursements to those producers and handlers qualifying for cost share assistance. FSA will continue to partner with states to administer these programs.

To learn more about organic certification cost share, please visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov or contact your local FSA office.

Producers in Franklin County are encouraged to contact the Franklin County FSA office at 151 Finney Boulevard in Malone or calling 518-483-2850, option 2 for more information. Clinton & Essex County farmers can contact the Clinton-Essex FSA office by calling 518-561-4616, option 2 or visiting the office at 6064 Route 22, Plattsburgh.